It seems that Baghdad is in the news every day as a result of the war in Iraq, but once upon a time, this ancient city was a leading world center of culture and education. Here’s a brief look at its history.

Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, was built on the banks of the Tigris River. It is the major

cultural center of the Islamic world. It dates back to the eighth century.

Baghdad is located in Mesopotamia – the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers called the Cradle of Civilization.

The city was founded and built in 762 A.D. by the Caliph al-Mansur of the Abbasid Dynasty, and enjoyed 500 years of prosperity. Baghdad was known as the Round City because the original plan featured a ”ring” of residential and commercial buildings.

During the Golden Age, (750-1050 A.D.), when most of Europe was still in the Dark Ages, Baghdad thrived with museums, hospitals, libraries and mosques.

The city was full of scholars and was a leading center for education. Major advances were made in the fields of science and mathematics there. It was also one of the world’s richest cities.

In 1258, the Mongols invaded Baghdad, killing thousands of scholars and tens of thousands of other citizens. The city’s libraries, schools and museums were looted and destroyed. To make matters worse, internal fighting between Sunni and Shiite Muslims broke out. So began a long cycle of decline.

In addition to its cultural importance, Baghdad served as a major trade center for

Europe and became part of the Ottoman Empire.

In the 1800s, steamship travel on the Tigris River brought wealth back to the city. A period of modernization began, with new schools, hospitals and factories being built.

In 1920, the League of Nations – precursor to the United Nations – gave Britain the right to govern Iraq. Baghdad returned to its place as the dominant city in the region. The University of Baghdad,

Al-Mustansiriyah University and the University of Technology opened. Oil brought more wealth and spurred new construction projects, further boosting the economy.

In 1979, Saddam Hussein took control as the president of the Republic of Iraq. He was known as the Butcher of Baghdad.

Saddam used repression, terror and brutality to destroy any who opposed him, and keep a stranglehold on the country.

Nearly 1 million people were killed collectively during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and the Persian Gulf War (1991).

More than 200,000 people “disappeared” during Saddam’s brutal regime. His bloody rule came to an end in 2003, when his administration was overthrown by U.S.-led forces. He went into hiding, but was captured, tried for his crimes and executed on Dec. 30, 2006.

Today, the city of Baghdad is the scene of destruction, terror and devastation as it struggles to recover from the reign of Saddam. The city is plagued by the civil unrest between Sunnis and Shiites, attacks against civilians by insurgents and the effects of the ongoing war.

Another sad development in the land of Mesopotamia was the looting of Baghdad’s National Museum of Antiquities and the burning of the National Library. Some of the world’s oldest artifacts and documents were housed there. Many have been stolen and illegally imported to other countries. These include artifacts from Persia (now Iran), Greece, Babylon, the Roman Empire and various Arab dynasties. The library, which contained manuscripts dating back to the Ottoman

Empire, was reduced to ruins.

The conflicts within the city have led to the destruction of many important buildings and the loss forever of ancient architecture.

Today, Baghdad struggles to establish a strong government and rebuild this once beautiful and culturally-rich city.

ACTIVITIES

USE the Internet or other reference source to learn more about the history of Baghdad.

Check out the travel section in Today’s Post and find the destination on a map or globe. Would you like to visit this place?

Write an essay on why Baghdad is a culturally important city.

Use a map or globe to find Baghdad. Also find and trace the paths of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.